Safety trigger lock for firearms



Feb. 13, 1962 C. W. NEWSON SAFETY TRIGGER LOCK FOR FIREARMS Filed May 5, 1960 Clarence W Newson I N VENTOR.

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United A States Patent 3,020,663 SAFETY TRIGGER LOCK FOR FIREARMS Clarence W. Newson, 854 W. 3rd North St.,

Salt Lake City 16, Utah Filed May 5, 1960, Ser; No. 27,044-

2 Claims. or. 42-70 3,Z0,fifi3 Patented Feb. 13, 1962 lug or abutment conforms substantially to the curvature of the opposed portion of said guard.

Pivotally mounted at in the chamber or recess 12 of the plate 10. between the elements 13 and 14 is a stop 16 for the trigger 8. The stop 16 is engageable behind the trigger 8 in a manner shown to advantage in FIG- URE 2 of the drawing for preventing rearward movement of said-trigger. Toward this end, a coil spring 17 is mounted on the lug or abutment 14 and engaged behind the stop 16. Thus,,-the stop 16 is constantly, urged forwardly to operative position in engagement with the trigger and is yieldinglyvheld against rearward swinging provide a safety firearm lock of the character described low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation, showing a safety trigger lock constructed in accordance with the present invention in use on a revolver;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation thereof, showing the cover plate in its open position;

FIGURE 3 is a view substantially in horizontal section on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 1; I

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is. a view in side elevation of the device per se with the cover plate omitted; and

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that reference character 7 designates generally a conventional revolver. The revolver 7 includes the usual trigger 8, the guard 9 for said trigger, etc.

The embodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated comprises a relatively thick plate 10 of aluminum, plastic or other suitable material. As shown to advantage in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the plate 10 conforms substantially to the shape of the trigger guard 9 on which said plate is adapted to be removably mounted: Toward this end the plate 10 has formed in one of its faces a marginal groove or channel 11 which laterally receives the guard 9 thereby forming an open sided housing out of the plate 10 for enclosing the trigger guard 9 and the trigger 8.

The plate 10 is further provided with a chamber or recess 12 which is in communication with the groove 11 and which is shaped to define, in conjunction with said groove a boss 13 on the front portion of the plate and a substantially segmental lug or abutment 14 on the rear portion of said plate. The boss 13 is insertable in the front portion of the guard 9 closely adjacent the front of the trigger 8 and said boss is shaped to conform to the curvature of said trigger. The segmental lug or abutment 14 is engageable in the rear portion of the guard 9 in rearwardly spaced relation to the trigger 8 and said movement.

Pivotally mounted at 18 on the forward end portion of the plate 10 for swinging movement in a vertical plane I is a relatively thin cover plate 19. The cover plate 19 is adapted to be positioned in opposed relation to the plate 10 with the guard 9, the trigger 8, etc., therebetween thereby completely enclosing the trigger guard 9'and trigger 8 within the housing 10. The cover plate 19 is substantially similar in shape to the plate 10 and said cover plate is provided on its free end portion with a lug or pin 20 which is adapted to snap into a socket 21 provided therefor in said plate 10 for releasably securing said cover plate 19 in closed or operative position.

It is thought that the use of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the cover plate 19 in open position as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the plate 10 is applied laterally to the guard 9. When the plate 10 is thus applied the boss 13 enters the front portion of the guard immediately in front of the trigger 8 and the stop 16 is forced laterally behind said trigger with which it is engaged by the tensioned spring 17. The pivoted, spring-biased stop 16 readily adjusts to substantially any trigger position on various firearms, this constituting an important and highly desirable feature of the invention. With the plate 10 thus mounted in position on the firearm the cover plate 19 is swung to closed position on its pivot 18 for enclosing and protecting the trigger 8. The opposed upper portions of the plates 10 and 19 are grooved and beveled as at 22 to accommodate the lower portion of the frame of the revolver 7. 1

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de scribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a firearm of the type having a trigger and a trigger guard therefor which is substantially U-shaped, a trigger lock comprising a relatively thick plate having a recess formed in one side face there of of a size andshape conforming to the outline of said trigger guard and opening through one side edge portion of said plate, a boss formed on said plate and projecting outwardly away from the inner end of said recess having its free end flush with the plane containing said one side face of said plate and being of cross-sectional size and shape to be snugly received in and to substantially fill the space between said trigger and the forward end of said trigger guard, an abutment formed on said plate projecting outwardly and away from the inner end of said recess and having its free end flush with said plane and being of a cross-sectional size and shape to be received between said trigger and the rear end of said guard, said abutment including a portion confronting said portion of said plate defining said recess conforming to the inner surface of the corresponding portion of said trigger guard,

said abutment and boss, together with the portions of said plate defining said recess, defining a groove in which said guard is laterally receivable, said recess being of a depth to receive said trigger and guard, a pivoted stop secured in said recess and having a portion 'rnovable toward and away from said trigger between the latter and said abutment, said means disposed between said movable portion and said abutment normally yieldably urging said movable portion into engagement with the rear of said trigger and yieldably resisting rearward movement of the latter relative to said guard, a cover plate complementary in size and plan shape to said plate pivotally secured to said one side face of said plate and movable between a closed position, substantially entirely enclosing said recess and registered with said plate and a in open position with said cover plate swung completely out of registry with said recess about an axis extending transversely of said plate and said cover plate.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for releasably securing said cover plate in said closed 110-, 

